Mary Moss was certain she was going to die. 

“I felt it deep inside, nagging. It wouldn’t let go,” said Moss, while tidying up after finishing a client’s nails at Dolph’s Nail Salon & Spa, located at 1041 Lake Village Circle in Brandon.

“I’m a 20-year respiratory therapist and I have great care for my patients. When COVID hit, I fell into a deep, deep depression. I just knew I would contract this disease and die because of it. So much so, I got all of my important papers in order. As much as I love what I do, I knew then, I needed a way out.”

Moss goes about her nail salon gathering the items she’ll need for her next client. She reflects for a moment.

“I talked to my husband about options. I credit him with pushing me. I went to technical college, got the training it offered and…, honestly, there was YouTube,” Moss says with a chuckle. “I’m not kidding. YouTube is your friend.” 

“So, I started doing nails in a private space my husband created for me. I scaled back my hospital hours and started doing nails for longer hours. But… COVID,” she said, shaking her head. “We were socially distancing, remember? In spite of my fear of contracting COVID and dying, I went back into the hospital. I needed the money. There were bills to pay, and I was making good money. It was hard to turn it down. I worked four, 12-hour shifts every two weeks.”

“And then, we lost my nephew to an asthma attack. Justin Dolph Clark. He was 23 years old. After that, I started working less and less at the hospital, and doing more nails. My salon is named after him.”

“I have to tell you, I love it. It’s therapeutic for me. The creativity, chatting with clients, the laughter we share, is so calming. This is the best job I’ve ever had and truthfully, it’s the only job I’ve ever really loved. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a therapist and I’m good at it, too. But this is my dream job. When you love, love, love what you’re doing, you find happiness.”

Appointments can be made by contacting Moss by text at (601) 813-9755 or email at dolphsnailsalon.square.site. She takes appointments Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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